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First
of all, Margaret Sanger, the courageous founder of Planned Parenthood
where this workshop in question is being held wasn’t “cis” anything.
She wasn’t gender queer nor was she a transwoman. Margaret Sanger was
female. Sorry, I forgot to put the “cis” in front of woman. Even
though there is no reference in any historical document to her being
“cis” or queer, I don’t want to upset “queer feminists” or gender queer
individuals. As to Margaret Sanger, I’m sure old Margaret must be
rolling over in her grave by now. Contrary to what gender queer
“feminists” believe, brave women were working tirelessly to improve the
lives of women long before “queer feminists” came along.

Gender queers
weren’t on the front lines in the battle to provide reproductive health
care to women. It was the Suffragettes who fought tenaciously for
women’s suffrage. Queers had nothing to do with it. Most of the major
women’s rights legislation was enacted long before gender queer became
all the rage in the 1990s. Queer theory emerged during a reactionary
period in history in which there were actual attacks on civil and
women’s rights. Starting with Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher, a
rapacious form of capitalism was unleashed.

There was a relentless
acceleration of money and power to the wealthy few. During this time,
attacking feminists became something of a sport or rite of passage for
conservatives. I certainly don’t see “queer feminism” as an extension
of feminism. Rather, gender queer became all the rage during a period
in time in which feminism was waning. In reality, I can’t think of
anything of significance that gender queers have done for women. As to
women’s rights, gender queer is late to the table and came empty handed.
Indeed, most “queer feminists” have no idea who Margaret Sanger was.
It’s so sad to see gender queers gleefully trample on the bones and
graves of women like Margaret Sanger.

Now,
let’s discuss the term “cotton ceiling” which, in my opinion, is an
offensive sexist term. What is the origin of this term and where did
it come from? As I understand it, this offensive term or so-called
theory was first coined by trans porn star and activist Drew DeVeaux.
Is this correct? Since this website is about “queer feminism”, and
“queer feminists” are so concerned about women, what has Drew Deveaux
ever done for women? Sorry, I don’t see how pornography improves the
lives of women. By the way, it’s always amazing how close “queer
feminism” is to pornography. Let’s examine the elaborate theory of
“cotton ceiling” proposed by this esteemed trans porn star.

While the
term “glass ceiling” refers to employment discrimination and the
historical inability of women to break through to higher levels of power
and authority in business, government, and politics, the term “cotton
ceiling” refers to women’s cotton panties, and sexual access to women,
especially lesbian females. The “glass ceiling” affects all women
everywhere, and feminists have been fighting it for over half a century.
The “cotton ceiling” is a recent, freshly minted gender queer, trans
term used to describe trans men’s access, or lack of access, to women’s
under panties. Transwomen and gender queer folks have totally
co-opted an old feminist term meant to indicate employment
discrimination and twisted and distorted its historic meaning as a way
to shame, intimidate, and coerce lesbians into having sex with gender
queer transwomen.

Most lesbians recognize male transgender individuals
and often support transgender rights, but aren’t sexually attracted to
MTF transsexuals or transwomen. Male transgender individuals can only
go so far with many lesbians. Thus, the need to break the barriers to
the “cotton ceiling”, or lesbian panties. The term “cotton ceiling”
definitely implies sexual access, or lack thereof. It certainly means
access to females. After all, historically, haven’t all men whether
with an intact penises or not demanded sexual access to women’s bodies?
Indeed, I can’t recall a time in history when this wasn’t true.

How
many times have lesbians been told that if they just tried dick, they
would like it? Am I allowed to say dick in this blog? Indeed, lesbians
are told this in innumerable ways, some subtle and some not so subtle.
Lesbians have been told what they should and should not desire all
their lives. Now, it’s implied that lesbians are “transphobic” if they
don’t feel the desire to sleep with MTF transsexuals. This is nothing
but utter lesbianphobia no matter how it’s dressed up. Putting it in a
pretty little package and attaching some queer speak nonsense words and
phrases to it won’t change anything. I’m a lesbian and I love women’s
souls, bodies, and spirits. Unlike trans porn stars, I don’t sexually
objectify women.

I simply love women deeply. Indeed, it’s almost
spiritual like any intense sexual or human connection. Perhaps this is
why gender queer folks don’t understand lesbians, and why lesbians don’t
understand gender queer. I feel an emotional connection to women.
The term “cotton ceiling” is sexist and lesbianphobic pure and simple.
In the gender queer and trans community, there is an immense and
terrifying loathing of lesbians. Lesbians have the audacity to love
women. I mean actually love women. In a world where trans porn stars
coin lesbianphobic bazaar terms like “cotton ceiling”, this is truly a
revolutionary act.

Go to this link, page 33 and email or write to Planned Parenthood's sponsors protesting their unfeminist and unethical treatment of women, women's rights and Planned Parenthood's support of Trans Politics nihilism of women, language and nature herself!

The lesbians who had been coddling the FTM community for years, pretendimg to believe they're actually male, will be forced to admit that they don't believe in sex-changes quite so much when seeing it from this angle. Also FTMs were first it seems in telling gay men who don't want to have sex with them that they were transphobic... of course it's easier for FTMs to find gay male tops to fuck their 'holes' than it is for MTFs to find lesbians who accept their penises as large clitorises!

"I've had enough of vagina, I am not going anywhere near one for a good while.I had a good long time where I slept with women to prove my masculinity."

I, in the past slept with women to prove my masculinity. I did not sleep with Transdudes. Most Transdudes have vaginas, I would have to think long and hard (pun) before I was willing to have a relationship with a Transdude because of that.

So no, I did not say that female = vagina.

I said I slept with women with vaginas. I don't want to be with someone who has a vagina for a good while.

Why so sensitive to a "guilt trip"? You have an absolute right to choose who you have sex with and why. If your choices are based on something dumb, that's your problem and I can't think of a transwoman I know who would stoop down to your level to change your mind. On this blog, people have deconstructed the word "female" to such a degree that it means nothing. If, as Dirt asserts, women have beards, no breasts, and pass as male all the time, then we can't even assume there is anything about the "experience of being female" that can be shared by women to unify you. If transmen's vaginas or chromosomes mean so much to you despite their having gained male privilege, then by all rights they should be considered desirable by lesbians. The point is, make up your minds. Unless you want to confront the daunting task of judging people for WHO they really are, rather than what you assume they are like based on body parts, you are really going to have to have a thicker skin around this "guilt trip". And for god's sake stop flattering yourselves about who is trying to get in your panties. How embarassed you would be if you knew what people think when they look at 99% of you.

A lesbian wanting to sleep with a natural born woman is not a choice "based on something dumb". In case you weren't aware or it wasn't entirely obvious, lesbians are biologically sexed females that are attracted to other biologically sexed females.

A lesbian isn't attracted to a male to female trans person because they don't meet the absolute base requirement -- being a biologically sexed female! Regardless of presentation, pre/post/non-op, what they feel they are in their head -- none of that is of any consequence. When it comes to female to male trans people, I can't speak to that with any authority. I'm sure much of the confusion circles around the biological sex being correct, but a variety of mutilative surgeries and the application of testosterone certainly don't foster qualities a lesbian would be attracted to in a partner. In my limited experience of the world, butch and transguy (regardless of post/pre/non-op, or whatever terminolgy/drugs/surgeries applies) are worlds apart.

I am post-operative male to female trans, and this cotton ceiling nonsense *horrifies* me. While I remain attracted to women, I would never be so insulting as to call myself a lesbian, or go so far as to try and shame lesbians into finding me a viable partner. Are you kidding me?! I am many things, but biologically female is not, and will never be one of them.

Trying to needle at Dirt and the women who read this blog about judging people for who they really are vs. their body parts shows just how far the discussion has sailed over your head. It's embarrassing to read. You don't need to attack people who are attempting to dissect something absolutely fascinating and very much worth discussing. We (Dirt, her readers vs. myself) may not agree on the root cause of transition, but there's absolutely no question that it causes harm to females.

The "cotton ceiling" is the most vile, disgusting attack on lesbians that I have ever seen, and to speak positively of it or worse, defend it is absolutely reprehensible.

There's no question that transition causes harm to females? I can question that. Show me the female! Where is the female contained and what "harm" can be quantified? Please. Can you point to the "female" that could have been and show me what has been lost and to whom? It seems like this is just a battle for numbers not based on concern for any individual. Are you jealous of the innate female-ness we have access to but reject?

I apologize in advance for being long-winded about this, but the harm is to "female" as a whole, the entire sex. Bear with me for a minute or two.

On one hand you have the male to female transitioner, who then stampedes around like a bull in a china shop demanding their right to access female spaces and lesbian relationships. They cry out and demand to be recognized for the "woman that they are", and that boiling it down to basic biological sex is "transphobic". Don't you just want to reach out and smack some sense into them? Since when should a female only space be subjected to someone who isn't? Those of us who have transitioned must, MUST have respect for the experience of being female that we DO NOT HAVE. No matter what state of transition we are in, there are basic elements we do not share with biologically sexed females -- why should their spaces be eroded by those us quite literally playing pretend? It isn't fair. Female is female, female is not some mystical fairy dust between our ears that other people simply must believe because we say that it is so.

We get a brilliant example in the news right now, of the trans Miss Universe contestant who has successfully managed to eradicate the natural born woman criteria from the rulebook. Ignoring for a moment the comedy of pageantry, where does that leave females? Now anyone can enter as long as they call themselves female. If you can pretend enough on the outside, it must be so! It's no wonder so many people think that trans people are delusional. There's no better word to describe that kind of behaviour -- it IS delusional! There are people fighting for this contestant's supposed "right" to participate -- who is fighting for the event to remain a female space? Who is fighting for the biologically sexed women, who contrary to the majority of trans opinion, are important, are meaningful, and deserve protection? Constantly trying to erode and twist "female" to fit their purpose is harming females. I have trouble seeing how it ISN'T.

On the other you have the female to male transitioner, who as I said before, I can't speak with much authority on. I don't know what motivates the female to male, in as much as I don't understand the motivation behind most of the people caught up in various stages of the medical machine. My overall generalization here would be that these transitioners hurt "female" by rejecting it, and embracing the male dominated and perpetuated belief that females are worthless.

It's an assault from both sides - no matter what type of transitioner you are, you contribute to the attrition of female. Why more people aren't talking about this is astounding.

You don't have to be a lesbian to find this idea of a "cotton ceiling" offensive! I'm a straight woman and the very idea that my panties are a barrier to be overcome creeps me out to the max! Yes, I like men, I bed men, (that whole straight thing you know right?)and being that I am intimate with the species and well acquainted with their simple and often annoying ways. That whole idea resonates just about as male as anything I have ever read period! And these are supposedly women saying this? Uhhh... yeah right! Think it's time to do a serious reality check here isn't it?

"But I think the workshop is about why some lesbians have issues with queer women."

For this they needed to hire a Pick up artist?

@Miz know-It-All

"I'm a straight woman and the very idea that my panties are a barrier to be overcome creeps me out to the max!"

Isn't it strange that straight folks will never be treated like lesbians? You will never hear crazy trans activists yelling at straight women because they aren't attracted to female body parts. I wonder why...

Lesbians are easier to attack being a fragile minority. Plus, heterosexual men will mock and perhaps attack the trans disordered (both directions of them) who want to sleep with heterosexual women, because they are new rivals.

But yeah. If this gets a pass. Probably we can see a workshop for heterosexual "cis" men about how to overcome *their* cotton ceiling in the near future. Like lesbians now are called "transphobe", all women who do not want to sleep with heterosexual "cis" men, or a particular subset of those men, will be called "malephobe". Workshops about how to forcibly make all women want to have sex with heterosexual males would happen.

At least, that is what would follow logically from this "cotton ceiling" idea.

These same trans activists claim that reproductive organs arent inherantly sexed. (vaginas can be 'male', penises can be 'female')

Their rationale for declaring transphobia is that vagina =/= female, hence female lesbians are just being vindictive for rejecting cock. SO WHY ARENT male 'lesbians' satisfied with cock like they think 'cis' dykes should be?

"Isn't it strange that straight folks will never be treated like lesbians? You will never hear crazy trans activists yelling at straight women because they aren't attracted to female body parts. I wonder why..."

I admire the way some feminists used to encourage hetwomen to try to overcome their heterosexuality and embrace lesbianism. And they also, less ambitiously, encouraged women to try to overcome D/s and embrace more equal relationships.

But it's almost taboo today. Instead some feminists [unfortunately] try to encourage lesbians to embrace pansexuality. And [more fortunately] try to encourage everyone to try to overcome fatphobia. There's some good and some bad in all this.

@April 11, 2012 10:05 AMYou're right, straight women don't get treated like lesbians do... to a point. Past that, our lives and your's are not much different. Like you, I'm just as much a second class citizen put upon this earth for what's between my legs rather than what's between my ears. Which is why I got into fighting this whole "trans meme" in the first place!

Frankly I wouldn't give a rats ass what anyone else did with their lives or bodies no matter how foolish! So what if they want to run around "feeling like! Who cares! Man? Squash? Stuffed toy? It really isn't my issue... That is, until their wanting to play dress up depends entirely upon woman being redefined as less than human! Then my sisters, it becomes your and my issue in a big way! "Trans" it seems has become the anti-feminist mind given into flesh. From the penised men who are "women" cause they say so, to the genderqueer for whom it seems female is the lowest and most repugnant form of being there is... To the "trans-man" who must use birth control so "he" doesn't get preggers? Trans needs to redefine 51% of the world's population as a caricature which can never be any bigger than whatever they say it is and all this just so their fantasy can live? To this erasure we are suppose to have no say?

Sorry, but no!

I am not and never will be your caricature! I am a living breathing female! Deal with it!

"These same trans activists claim that reproductive organs arent inherantly sexed. (vaginas can be 'male', penises can be 'female')"

This is completely crazy. They have reasonable scientific evidence for this. Ok female hyenas have a pseudo penis (which is just a large clitoris) but what else? They have N O T H I N G just their fucked up ideology.

Another straight woman here, similarly freaked out at the term "cotton ceiling"

It reminds me a lot of a creepy term one of my male relatives used in the 1970s about women who didn't want sex with him... "the nylon curtain" as a play on the Cold War term The Iron Curtain. Yeah, he as an asshole too, of the sort that believed that any pressure short of direct force was acceptable.

What an excellent analysis, and truly creepy creepers @ this Cotton Ceiling BS! This certainly doesn't further transwomen's cause for inclusion in the lesbian community. Thank goodness for clear-thinking transppl like Anonymous.

Aside: I just came across your blog tonight dirt, and LOVE it! You are doing very important work here, and I respect your courage for doing it.